Potential floor plans for a 14' Starcraft Seafarer

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HahnZooKeeper

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I hope to be customizing our 1981 14' Starcraft Seafarer over this coming winter. I have really liked some of the projects as well as the advice posted here. Along with all of that, I've added my own twist. Take a look at my drawings and let me know what you think. I look forward to any and all constructive criticism or advice on it. Especially anything you see as a potential pitfall.
 

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What about moving the battery to the front deck? I see that its near the middle but your weight the battery and a gas tank could get to be a bit much....just a suggestion
 
i like your plans for the back, very similar to what i was thinking of doing with my 14' starcraft this winter.

leave the battery where it is in your plan. i have mine up front and it plows all over the place when there are 2 people in the boat, very squirrely steering... it will be much better with weight distribution the way you have it shown, even when you are alone. i am going to move it to the middle when redoing things.

i would not deck the front area very high or it might be too unstable to stand. there is not a lot of roll stability up front because of the v. i put a deck 6-8" below the gunwales in the front and it is not usable for standing and fishing, i'm going to lower it 8 or 10".
 
Thanks guys, any input at this point is good input. The only thing I know I'd like to do for sure is remove that middle bench which has its pros and cons. Pro: free up flat floor space. Con: loss of potential storage space.
My main thought as it relates to balance is that a boat is like an iceberg, Keep all of the heavier things (battery, gas can, etc...) as low as possible and the boat will be stable. The lowest point in my boat is the middle, so that's where I've focused my energy. I'm sure that this goes against conventional wisdom, but I have never been much of a follower. I also know that heavier things like batteries will need to be forward a little bit to offset the weight of the motor (9.8 Hp Merc), but how far??? That's the $64,000 question! Trial and error I guess. (I hope not too much of that!!!) I have also heard of alot of people saying that they framed out supports of aluminum because it's lighter than wood. But the reality of it to me is that, despite its weight, wood floats. Aluminum, at least the last time I checked, doesn't. Plus there's the cost of aluminum vs. wood! I know that there also be lighter items like floatation devices etc.. that will be o.k. at a higher level in the boat.
Anyway, I really do appreciate the advice (despite my RANT there!) I guess if there's anyone who has the same or similar boat, I would love to hear from you. Your successes, your failures, the whole thing! Measure twice, cut once!
 

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